mages which the other subjects were obliged to pay, on condition they would make it their business to observe such and such laws and statutes as the aforesaid holy woman Religion should prescribe unto them, and to live in true obedience to her commands all the days of their life. Whereupon we were presently inflamed with a fervent desire to see this woman, and, if possible, to come and live with her, (I speak for us all, because I have heard the rest of my companions here own the same inclinations as myself had) so we consulted no longer with flesh and blood, but immediately resolved to wait upon her, and declare our intentions, hoping to find favour in her eyes, and to be admitted into her society: which we did accordingly; and having made her a visit, and heard her heavenly voice, we were ravished more than ever, and grew impatient till we were taken into the house. At length our wishes were fulfilled, our desires granted, and here we lived ever since, and would not change our life for the whole world; for this woman is of a sweet temper, and all her laws are pleasant, “ her yoke is easy, and her burden is light."

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Charity. Not that we condemn all those who do not live in such a state, or just according to our rules: for without doubt many do live mixed with the rest of the world, yet keep themselves unspotted from the vices of the world, but they are exposed to greater danger; they run the risk of more temptations than we. For here one spirit and soul (as it were) animates us all; holiness and purity are all that we aim at, and we mutually encourage one another, assist one another, and forward one another in the practice of it. We have no cares to imbitter us, nor vain pleasures to debauch us; we have no honours to tempt us to ambition, nor riches to make ús covetous. All our ambition is to approve ourselves blameless in the sight of God, and all the riches we covet, are those that never fade away, the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost.

Tend. But I suppose you have some particular laws and rules, to which you are obliged to conform yourselves, which I should be glad to know.

Piety. Yes we have so, and I will acquaint you with them in the best manner I can.

1. We are obliged to rise every morning before the sun; and then we join altogether in prayer and praises to the great God of heaven, thanking him for his past blessing, and imploring his future favour and protection

over us.

2. Then every one goes to their proper business, as belong to their office, till the time of refreshment, and so again till dinner.

3. We are obliged to entertain all pilgrims that arê travelling toward the heavenly country, provided they shew their pass, or give such an account of themselves as may be thought equivalent.

4. At the close of the day, we are obliged to join again all in prayer and praises, as in the morning.

5. We are obliged to keep and maintain the King's armoury, and to furnish all pilgrims with weapons and armour of proof against all dangers and disasters what

soever.

These are the general and most important laws of our society. But, besides these, we have many particular rules of less note, though very good, and in a manner necessary to our well being; all which it would be too tedious to rehearse.

Temp. Only give me leave to insist upon the statute of moderation in eating and drinking, which we are straitly charged to keep, under severe penalties, which I suppose you had forgot.

Piety. It is true indeed, I had forgot to mention it, and am very glad of that forgetfulness, since I have thereby given you an opportunity of discoursing more at large upon that subject, who are best able to do it, as being appointed the particular interpreter of this statute; therefore, pray inform the pilgrim about it.

Temp. This statute of moderation in eating and drinking is grounded on this consideration, that Adam fell by eating the forbidden fruit. The first sin that ever was committed in the world by mankind was eating. Now, though it be not certain whether it proceeded from some atural contagion in the fruit which Adam ate, or from

the venomous breath of the serpent, that recommended it to Eve, or some other hidden cause, yet we are sure, that whereas Adam was before in the full perfection of human nature, being the lively image of the glorious God, his soul being full of the beams of eternal light, his understanding clear and serene as the morning, his will regular and obedient to his reason, his body in perfect vigour and health, beauty and proportion, impassable and immortal; no sooner had he tasted the fatal morsel but a strange alteration befel him; the image of God was immediately defaced and sullied, his soul grew dark and cloudy, his understanding and reason became dull and inactive, and his will went retrograde. In short, all the faculties of his soul were dislocated and disjointed. As for his body, it became weak and unhealthy, subject to divers casualties, sickness and infirmities, and at last to death itself. This was the effect of irregular eating. Nor did the mischief rest here; but he transmitted it to his posterity, conveying all these ill qualities of body and soul to his children, whereby all the generations of men in the world are under the same misfortune, corrupted both in body and soul, "conceived in sin, and brought forth in iniquity." But, as if we were not unhappy enough in this original, depravation of our nature, the greatest part of mankind endeavour to increase the misery by their own actual repetition and continual practice of the same crime, gluttony and drunkenness reigning over the greatest part of the world. This is the reason why the statute of moderation in eating and drinking is so strictly enjoined to this society; and it were well if all the world would observe it; then would people have sound minds in sound bodies.

Tend. Wherein does this moderation in eating and drinking consist?

Temp. It consists in bridling and regulating the appetite, as to the quantity and quality of meats and drinks. Tend. Pray shew me how it consists in bridling the appetite, as to its quantity.

Temp. It teaches us to eat and drink no more at a time, nor oftener in a day, than is requisite to preserye the body in health, to suffice, nature, and refresh the

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spirits. It is a taming of the body, and bringing it into subjection to the soul, that so the inferior faculties may be subservient to the superior.

Tend. But how shall a man know how much will exactly keep the body in health, to suffice nature, and refresh the spirits, since there are as many different constitutions in the world, as there are faces.

Temp. The way to know this is for every one to observe his own temper, and they will quickly find out the true measure and proper time of eating and drinking. Only take this for a general rule, That it is by all means convenient to rise from a table with an appetite, and to have a mind after a meal, as well disposed for labour, for exercise, or for prayer, as it was before. He who eats or drinks beyond this, breaks the rules of moderation; for the end of eating and drinking is to refresh nature, and make it more vigorous and active, and not to render it dull and heavy.

Tend. Pray tell me what good effects this moderation produces in the soul, and how it works there?

Temp. Great, certainly, and manifold are the benefits which redound to the soul from the constant practice of this moderation in eating and drinking; for though the soul be of itself an immortal and impassable essence, yet, while it is joined with our mortal body, it partakes of all its conveniences or inconveniences. If the body be in pain, the soul suffers with it; if the body feels pleasure, the soul enjoys it likewise. Nay, rather, it is the soul that is alone sensible of every thing that happens to the body: for the body of itself is but dead and inactive matter, incapable of sense or motion in itself: it is the soul which gives life, motion, and sense to it. Now, therefore, as the body is maintained in health and vigour, so does the soul flourish and triumph within herself: on the contrary, when the body is sickly and weak, the soul languishes by sympathy. He, therefore, that cats and drinks to excess, and thereby cloys his stomach, fills his body full of contagious humours, and sows the seeds of many diseases in his own bowels. This man is no friend to his soul, for she by this time grows dull and sluggish, dark and cloudy, sad and melancholy, and void of all pleasure

and comfort: whereas, ou the contrary, be that bridles his appetite, and eats and drinks no more, nor oftener than what sufficeth nature, and refreshes his spirits, his soul is always lively and vigorous, sprightly as youth, and serene as the morning, full of light and comfort; and, in a holy triumph, she often soars aloft, and basks in the rays of eternal happiness, despising the world, and all that is in it, excepting her own tabernacle, which is always kept neat and clean; and therefore she takes delight to repose herself therein, when, like the eagles, she is tired with her lofty flights. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost; and he that poliutes them with riot and uncleanness is guilty of sacrilege. And, therefore, well said Solomon, "Be not a companion of winebibbers and riotous eaters of flesh."

Tend. I thank you for your good and wholesome talk. Now, pray shew me how moderation in eating and drinking consists in bridling the appetite as to the quan. tity of meats, &c.

Temp. In order to the better clearing up of this point, it is necessary to look back to Adam, who, we find, had permission and leave given him to eat of all the fruits of the garden of Eden, but only he was forbidden to taste of the fruit of the "tree of knowledge of good and evil.” And afterwards, to intimate that God took a special regard to the qualities of man's food, he was told by God what sort of fruits and herbs should be his diet, and which should be food for the beasts: "Of every herb bearing seed, and of every tree bearing fruit," he was allowed to eat; and the grass of the field was appointed for the beasts. Here we may observe, that there was no mention made as yet of flesh nor fish to be caten, no, not till after the flood: so that many are of opinion the fathers before the flood did eat no manner of flesh; and it is not improbable that this was one reason of their living so very long; nothing more conducing to health and long life, than an ascetic diet, that is, a diet of fruits, roots, and herbs, honey and oil, &c. without flesh or fish.

The first time we read that God gave to man a licence to eat flesh was after the flood, when he blessed Noah